~Raven Outdoor Consultant Sdn Bhd~

I sent my mum to work last Friday, 09/12/05. Then I decide to head straight to the Kranji War Memorial for a photo shoot. I parked my car under the old tree which I believe that had witnessed lots of major ceremonies since the existence of the War Memorial.

This time the feeling I had there was a totally different one from the last time I visited it. I believe its all due to the different reason and purpose I’m going this time too. Today its merely photo taking. It was just a normal walk in the memorial as I’ve already known the layout of the place inside out. It all was normal till I came to the section where the tomb was relocated from the Pasir Panjang Cemetery. These are the relatives of the soldiers who sacrificed for the our nation or some other’s nation, so we could enjoy the freedom now that we took for granted.

There was this particular tomb where a wreath was placed in front of it. John Richardson was his name, He served on board the Royal Navy H.M.S Terror. He died at a young age of 25 years old. It was exactly my age now. The feeling was strange and I couldn’t explain. The whole feeling of the photo shoot had brought me to another dimension.

Raven

I was conducting a half day camp session for Hougang Primary School on the 16/11/05 wed. Its the last day of the 4 day session. We were suppose to bring them out of the school to conduct SRIC for them.

After i finished my last station, i instructed my kids to head back to the final Check Point which is the school. As i was walking back i heard kids from another group shouting "Teacher teacher!!! Got people fall down!!!" " alot of blood!" "Faster Come!!!" I stopped and scouted the area and found nothing. Thinking that it may be the kids fooling a round i decided to carry on my way back to school. Then the shout became louder as more kids joined in the shouting. I gather my group to follow me while i proceed to check out the area. I walk towards the location then my pace quicken, in no time, i was already running to the scene as i sense something must be wrong.

As i was nearing the scene, i saw Winnie standing up and looking around. I immediately know something is definitely wrong. As i reached the scene, all i saw was the blood stain on the floor tiles. I saw the boy pressing hard on his wounds, one on the right toe, the other on his left knee. I remove his hand from the left knee to check on the wound. It was in a very bloody mess. All i saw was that blood was flowing out from the wound and from first observation i suspect that stitching is required. I found out that the wound is actually an old scar which had already heal 1 year ago. Which means that the fall actuall tear the scar apart raw mann.. I quickly took out my First Aid Kit and started to bandage his left knee using a few layers of gauze and a roller bandage to stop the bleeding.

Once i’m done with that, i tend to his right toe. It was totally in a mess as his shoe and sock was soaking in blood. All his toes were red. Again i remove his pressured hand from the wound as i need to check on where is the location of the cut in order to stop the bleeding efficiently. The cut was right below his right toe. The skin was being ripped off from the sole below the toe. An area of about 2cm by 2cm. Again i covered the wound with a few layer of gauze and i bandaged it with a roller bandage.

Kevin was on scene to command and control the situation. He arranged for some swapping of the teams as i have to stay with the victim. Soon after that we clear up the mess, washed the blood away from the ground then we head back to the school with the victim.

We contacted Martin who is already standing by with his safety vehicle. We also reported the incident to the victim’s form teacher before we call the victim’s mum and convey him to the nearest clinic for the stitching to be done.

I met the victim’s mum at the clinic and briefed her about the incident and then Martin took over as i need to rush to Christ Church Secondary to conduct Rock Climbing session for Green Wood Primary.    

This is so far the bloodiest accident i’ve tended to since i got my 1st aid cert in 1998. Amazingly, i kinda enjoy it while i’m tending to the victim. I strongly recommend people to go for First Aid course whenever possible, it’ll really benefit.

Raven

St. John Ambulance Brigade Certified First Aider

13/11/2005, Sunday. I met up with limin as we have decided earlier in the afternoon to go for a night time photo shoot of some scenery.

I met up with her and we drove to Kranji Reservoir. We parked our car and proceed to the dam with all the equipment we have. A Canon EOS 300 SLR, a 75-300mm len, a 28-90mm lens, a tripod and a torch light. We set up our position just below the dam to have a shot at the Lights over at Johor.

While we were setting up the camera, lightnings flashes across the sky above our neighbour. Our objective was changed immediately to capture the lightnings. It was indeed fun trying out different methods and ways to capture those nice flashes. We tried many ways and methods to try getting a good picture.

Moments later, the lightning’s frequency had dropped. So we decided to try shooting limin’s favourite object. The road. We scouted for a few area to have our camera set up and we were being some how mistaken by the drivers as Traffic Police Officers trying to set up some speed cameras along the road.

Then we were off to the next location, Admiralty Road West. Where is that? Well, people who frequent Johor will notice a stretch of road on the left when ever they come back to Singapore via the Causeway. That is the Admiralty Road West. Our initial idea was to capture the causeway and some buildings of Johor. However, upon reaching there we found the dark skies lighted by flashes of lightnings again. After some discussion, limin decided we should head to Sembawang Park instead. So off we wen, to chase the storm from Sembawang.

Upon reaching there, as usual we scout for a nice location to set up our camera. Missed a few good shots whlie setting up the camera. After we are done with the set up, we wait…wait…and wait… It wasn’t as simple as some of you guys might think mann…I found out that light not only travels faster than sound but also that light travels faster than my finger which is already pressing on the shutter button. Arhh.. i was praying and praying just to hope i am able to get a nice shot of the lightnings. Tried many methods like using bulb and some extreme slow shutter speed with wide aperture. Hopefully the picture will come out good.

Moments later we shifted out location to the jetty. As usual, set up camera then waited. At around 10plus we decided to call it a day as i’ll need to reach Hougang Primary by 0700hrs the next morning.

Already sent the negative for development. I’ll be keeping my finger crossed.

Raven

Raven Outdoor Consultant

The Bullet Times

Where every seconds counts

24^th September, 2005

“Forth road accident involving school children in 2 weeks”

Singapore

- A 9 year old boy was hit by a taxi yesterday when he failed to stop at a slope.

The incident happens at Woodlands Street 41 at about

3.46pm

.  9 year old Mohd Rizal was cycling towards a T-junction and as he was reaching a down slope, he did not stop the bike as he did not have any brakes on the bike itself.

The taxi was travelling along the street when suddenly Mohd Rizal appeared right in front of him. “ I slammed on my brake hard trying to avoid the collision, but too late.” Said the taxi driver Mr. Vijay. “ It’s so unlucky for me today, I just started my shift 1 hour ago and now accident.”

The ambulance crew from Woodlands Fire Station arrived 7 minutes after the 1^st report was made by SSGT. Foo Yiing Kai, an off duty  SCDF D.A.R.T regular . “I was at home when I heard the loud impact,   I came out of my flat and I saw a kid sitting on  the road about 3 meters away from the taxi, the bike was wrecked”, he said. He was the first to arrived at the scene equipped with a small medical kit.

SCDF paramedics conducted primary examination on Mohd Rizal on the scene and found no visible injuries on him. His parents  arrived shortly after being notified by their relative passing by the area.  He was later sent to the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital for further examinations.

A passer-by who declined to be named, claims that this area was a place where accident is waiting to happen. “they(cyclist) like to zoom down from the slope and cut into the main road without even stopping to check on the traffic”.

“Just take a look at the boy’s bike, the bicycle is not properly equipped with the   proper hardware, he doesn’t even have a brake on his bike!” “Their parents shouldn’t have allowed him to ride on a bike with such conditions”, another passer-by who only want to be known as Ms. Tan comments.

The chairman of the Singapore Amateur Cycling Association Mr. Martin Koh Wei Ming advices all the cyclist to have their bike properly equipped or checked before heading for the road. “Each and every parents is responsible for the safety of their own kids, please do not allow your children to ride on an unsafe bicycle”.

Paramedics checking on the victim with SSGT. Foo assistance.

This is the forth accident involving children below the age of 13 within the past two weeks. On 12th September, 7 year old Lim Wei Hean was killed while he was crossing the road along Jalan Bukit Krishun, 16th September, 8 year old Chen Jie Xin a Chinese national was injured by a motorcycle which failed to stopped at a zebra crossing at Tampines Ave 8 and on 21st September a 11 year old American, Thomas Antonio was hit by a car while he was  playing outside his house at Serangoon Garden Way.

The traffic police are still investigating the above cases. If you have any information regarding any of the accidents please call the traffic police at 1800-2543200.

Word Count: 523 words

Story based on actual account witnessed by Raven Foo.

Paragraphs / stories in italic are non-facture

Reported by Raven Foo.

Photo by by Raven Foo.

Well, well, today is quite an enjoyable day for me.. althought been quite lost recently… However, i went for my fren’s house for hari raya celebration and i found new climbing kahkis.. Wat is more steady is that they are all the way from France… My God!!! haha.. We talked about climbing all night, Petzl, Camp, Albert Robert, Krabi and many more.. haven been talking like this for long long time mann.. i’m so happy tonight…

I’ve promised to bring them for climbing at Dairy Farm when i’m free.. haha.. They are the natural wall climbers back in their country.. so shall show them the Wall of singapore.. They’ll be shock i guess… haha… They will be spending their X’mas back in France, then when they come back in january they will bring all their climbing gear here for the "Big Wall Expedition". Haha… Looks like we are gonna have fun then.. haha..

Those who like to join me in the "Expedition" please feel free to contact me ya…

Passion for exploration,

Raven

Hmmm… been quite down these past few days… Lots of things happened along the way mann.. been thinking and thinking about it.. wat should i do? hmmm… Is this another test set for me to go thru again? I guess it is… I’ve done it once… did not really performed up to my expectations the previous round… But i’m gonna make it good this time… Time is the major factor now… " Being slow and steady is good, but being fast and consistant is even better" Gota focus, focus, FOCUS!!! Hmmm… Think, think, think of the possible ways brudder… How can i achive that? Looks like i’ll have to keep thinking mann..

Lost??

Raven

We were supposed to meet at 1000hrs at Tampines Bus Interchange and yet I was late… But guess wat I’m not the latest la… We’ve got Josephine who was even later… haha…  we then boarded bus no. 19 which head to

Changi

Village

where my idol – Shuyen is waiting for us there due to some reason la… haha…

We had our breakfast there at the Changi Market and then we headed to Ubin via the bumboat.

Upon reaching there, we were “attacked” by lots of vendors for bike rental. Hmm… After some considerations, we decided to get the bike from our usual vendor… It cost only $3.00 for the whole day…  After we checked our bikes, we headed to the toilet for a break before we start our tour around the island… We headed to a new route which is a nature trail by itself and we came to a dead end… made a u-turn and head to another route which leads us to the main road… It is a good location for educational trips…

Chek Jawa is the 2^nd destination.  We turned into the dirt track along Kampong Malayu and we hit a Y-junction where there is a Malay cemetery just at the junction. We made a stop there and we took some modeling photos there…

After about 15minutes there we were on route to Chek Jawa again.  Same old thing, dirt and more dirt along the way… Luckily the rain last night was not a heavy one if not we would be covered by mud by the time we head home. . .  We waited for the last man to arrive at a junction before we set off again… Then came a steep slope and this is the 1^st time I saw our stun woman karyn fly mann… Yes, she flew and landed almost safely…

I believe I’m the eyewitness who was following every move of her till she landed… “On yr right!! On yr right!!! On yr right!!!” 3 times she shouted… The next thing I saw was her rear wheel taking off… My words couldn’t describe the look on her face when the bike was “riding” on her (the bike was on top of her). The she landed… We all stopped and we were concerned about her injury… But all I heard is her laughing away… “Did she hurt her brain?” I ponder to myself… Then all help arrived. Our medic (Kah Chun’s friend) was on site immediately. Karyn suffered only from a small abrasion wound and a bruised thigh, that’s all. After we have done the dressing, we soon realised something very eerie… Karyn had landed in front of a Malay tomb. Was it pure coincident or something else? Well it’s up to u guys to judge.   

Then we carried on our journey to Chek Jawa. It was high tight so we were not able to enjoy the marine life sanctuary there. Weijie brought us bashing once again. And we were glad that he did!!! He brought us to a place which has a very nice view of the Tekong BMTC. Which will be home to a few in a few years time… haha…?

The old cottage is the next destination and most of the team members listened to our dear Josephine and break into the compound of the fenced up cottage. They were greeted by the security officer waiting for them at the cottage… ahha… All thanks to Jo and her great idea!! She claims that she was there when she was in NPCC… Hello!!! That was how many years ago liao… Ha-ha…

We flee the place and go straight to Kampong Mamam to visit “Ah Yak”. He is still the same as he was a few weeks ago when weijie and I visited him. We also found the thief who stole Weini’s bike. Ha-ha… We had a break there and Kah Chun they all chatted with the owner there…   

Next stop? Model shoots for Shuyen. We were at the Chicken Feet and there were a model shoot there. 3 models and many photographers. Well, but only 1 model chap only… so we all chee hong there la… and well, for shuyen? Do I still need to say more? He is there trigger happily away… We kind of pity the model who was wearing shorts there… here legs were nicely decorated by the mozzie.

We were on route to “Tien Chi” when we came across a signage. “

German

Girl

Temple

” Limin and I were very happy that we were able to find it. We headed straight into it the trail. The place is so nice that I doesn’t look like U r in Spore or Ubin. As usual, we took plenty of photos there. This time round we became the model for shuyen. Ha-ha… Then we head to the temple. Where a terrible accident happened to my idol. As he was turning into the track which lead us to the temple, he fell due to some unforeseen reason. Medical care was on scene almost immediately… After that we went explore the temple.

Time was not on our side and we decided to detour from “Tien Chi” to Puaka Hill. We had lots of photos taken there when we were at the summit of Puaka. Nice view greeted us there.

Jetty was our final stop as time is up for our bike rental. Weijie and weini headed back to the mainland 1^st. We went to the toilet to wash up and change to a clean set of clothes before we head back to

Singapore

. Then this is where shuyen realised he had broken a UV-Guard lens during the faithful fall. He did managed to salvage the rest of the lens.

We had curry fish head at the food center back in Changi. Then Jo brought us to Changi Village Hotel’s roof top for a nice relax session. Spent quite some time there and we headed back home after that.

Passion In Exploration,

Raven

The Wooden Bowl

I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now.

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four year old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered.

The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. “We must do something about Grandfather," said the son. I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor. So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.

There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather’s direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four year old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?” Just as sweetly, the boy responded,"Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up.” The four year old smiled and went back to work. The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather’s hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

On a positive note,

• I’ve learned that, no matter what happens or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
• I’ve learned that, regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life.
• I’ve learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life."
• I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.
• I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.
• I’ve learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.
• I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.
• I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. People love that human touch - holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.
• I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.
• I’ve learned that you should pass this on to everyone you care about.
• I just did.

A touched soul,

Raven

The Final Option!!! ~Evasion From the Hostile Ground~

Recee Trekking Team: Ryan, Evelyn, Justin, Wan Sin, Billy & Josh

Route: MacRitchie to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

Date: 20/08/05

Day: Saturday

Weather: Rainy

Trail Condition: Wet and Muddy

The recee is for the up and coming event for Hwa Chong Insitute. We set off at around 1330hrs and we decide on which route to take inside the trail. I was assigned as the so call "Advance Party" to move infront of the pack to plant or to construct Trail signs or directional tell tale signs for the pack behind to follow…

When we reached the Ranger Station, Billy and I headed infront to plant the signs while the rest of the team will try to track us down. Everything went quite smoothly as we went up to the Tree Top Walk and the view there was still the same and good as ever. Just as the pack reaches the Tree Top Walk, thunder roared from a distance… Still having fear from the previous lightning strike experience I try not to think so much abt the thunder which had reached above us in just a matter of minutes.. We proceeded to the end of the walk and we headed the one way path to the X-Junction of Rifle Range Link and the Petaling Hut Trail… We made a directional sign there and we proceed tot he place where the faithful accident happened - to me!!

We carried on the trail happily and then we came across the Pipe line… we usually walk on the pipe line but It had been block off… I decided to skirt around the pipe line and cross from the bottom of it.. I took a few pictures of the rest of the team attempting to cross the pipe line.. I then went up to the other side of the pipe line to have a beta shot of them. I took around 4-5 shots then i decided to change my angle and location for a close up shot. I "step air" with my left feet and i dropped towards my left. My right feet was still on the concrete platform while i slammed my left ribcage on the ground, my head then slammed on my inner left arm causing a concussion to brian. I then slide downwards for around 1-2 feet… I laied there… "R U alrite not?" i heard them asking, some of them still confused of wat had happened.. I pass my camera to Billy and i slowly help myself up on my feet again… I did a quick full body check on myself for any injuries and also to ensure tat i’m in good condition. Then i went down to the stream to clean myself with the water… while the rest looked on with concerning eyes..(I guess haha..)

Soon after i’ve clean up myself we carried on our trek and recee… We headed all the way along Rifle Range link and hit the Rifle Range Road. It started to rain shortly after we arrived at Riflr Range Flyover(Sing Tel Dish along BKE). Then we head towards Bukit Timah Nature Reserve… It was a very nice place with a nice view.. We then turned into the Bike Track and along the way we saw plenty of Rambutans trees full of rambutans.. Errgh!! Can see cannot eat.. And tats killing me mann… Haha.. only justin get to ate 1  rambutan which he found on the ground.. So nice… Hmmm.. we ended our recee at the foot of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve Ranger Station.

We then went to the Hindede Quarry to have a break… Billy, Evelyn and Josh then went off while the rest of the hungry pack went to have our dinner at the Johnson Duck along bukit timah.

Cheerios-sutra rating: Die Die Must Try. The loh chap is fantastic mann.. made with some chinese herbs…